A new judge has been assigned to an ongoing sexual assault case against Steven Tyler, but people close to the Aerosmith frontman say he isn’t missing a beat as he looks to clear his name.
Lawrence Riff, the supervising judge of the civil division at the Los Angeles Superior Court, is now spearheading the case after Patricia A. Young recused herself less than two weeks before it was initially slated to go to trial.
A source told Page Six the substitution changes very little for Tyler, 78, as his team feels like Riff is fair and well-educated, and the rockstar is “confident” that the facts will bring him to victory.
Tyler was initially sued in December 2022 for sexual assault, sexual battery and intentional infliction of emotional distress, but the the vast majority of the claims were dismissed because the out-of-state allegations fell outside of California jurisdiction and were barred by statutes of limitations.
A single claim of intentional infliction of emotional distress remains, stemming from a night in Los Angeles in 1974, when the plaintiff, Julia Misley, accused Tyler of dragging her naked through a hotel and down to the pool area so they could have sex in a public hot tub when she was 16.
Tyler has adamantly denied any wrongdoing, arguing that their relationship was strictly consensual throughout their romance that spanned several years.
Tyler also insisted he had Misley’s parents’ blessing to bring her on the road with him during his rising stardom.
“It’s simply unfair for this to be opened after more than 50 years,” another source said, claiming Tyler and Misley remained happily together and even got engaged following the night in question.
“They were in love,” the source continued. “None of this was unusual at the time.”
Both sides are due back in court in November after the latest change in the case.
Page Six reached out to Tyler’s reps and Misley’s attorneys for comment.
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